Brake mechanism for railway-cars



J. REIF.

BRAKE MEcHANlsM FOR RAlLwAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE l, |920. l

Patented Sept. 27, 1921.

3 SHEETSfSHEET l.

||||| Ilwnl J. REIF.

BRAKE MEcHANlsM FoR RAILWAY CARS.

PPLICATION FILED JUNE I, i920.-

Patented sept 27,1921.

v 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. BRAKE MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CARS. APPucATloN FILED` :uur l. 1920.

1,891,977. Pmndsepn 27,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

aff

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH REIF, or IIEBR'oim'INnIANA. AssIeNoa or Formar-FIVE PER CENT. ToIRANcIsn. LING. or IIEBItoN. INDIANA.

y BRAKE MCHAN'ISM' ron RAILWAY-GARS.l

scriptionyreferen'ce beinghad to the accom` panyi-ng drawings,` formingaV part of this specification. p

My present inven'tior'il has for' its object to provide' improved brake"mechanism whereby the wheel brakes will be automatt cally applied whenVthe strain upon thedraw heads in 'movingth'e'y car`either in forward orbackward directionis relieved.-

The invention consists in the featuresof novelty' hereinafter described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out inthe claims at the end of this specification.

Figure' 1 is a view partly'inelevation and partly in` longitudinalvertical section throughV a portionof a railway' car having my inventionapplied thereto. Fig. 2*'is an inverted plan view of .theV parts shownin Fig. 1. 3 is a'vievv in vertical cross section on line 3-'3 of Fig.2.v Fig. 4' is a view in vertical longitudinal `section'on line M ofFig.3.

A designates 'conventionally the door or under framing of a railway carto thebotLA tom offwhichis secured a suitable transom' B to which ispivotally connected theA bolster C of the truck' frame. The trucky frameupper truss member D and the lower bottom member E, these membersycarrying at their oppositel ends suitable journalbearings for thejournals of thecarwheels F. .Suitable bralrebeams G andV G are suspendedfrom .the bolster C by thelinks g and upon the' ends of these brakebeams are supported the brake shoes I-I and H that engage with thewheels Ft@ arrest their rotation. The construction ofthe parts abovedefined will be readily understood bythose familiar with this 'class ofidevices and-need not bemore particularly described:

Through n thl for'wardv brake beam G; passes .a bolt 10 they front endof'which passesH alsorloo'sely through;A the lower portion of a` Shifterbei" 125 "their-wit' @ed the'b'olt be- Specication of Letters Patent.

Application leid .Tune 1, 1920.

Patented Sept. 27, 1921.

serial No. 385,482.

ing provided with a nut 13. To the lower end of theshifter bar 12 isvpivotally connected, asby a bolt 14, a link or coupling bar 15, the rearend of which is united as bv a bolt 16 to the rear bralcebeam G.

Through the upper portion of the shifter bar 12 passes a bolt 2O that isencircled by a coil spring 21. As shown, the rear end of the coil spring21 bears against a nut 22 on the threaded rear end of the bolt 20, whilethe front end of the spring 21 bears against a bar 25 (that may be ofspring metal) y Vhaving a slot or hole therein through which the bolt 20passes. The lower end of this bar 25 may be slottedy or yoke-shaped tostraddlethebolt 10 and the lowerfend of this bar 25 bears'against' thefront face of the forward brake beam G. The spring 2 1A holds the upperend of the bar'25 against the upper portion ofthe shifter bar 12 andcauses the rearwardly bowed lower portion of the bar 25 to bear with ayielding pres' sure against the front face 'of the brake beam G.

The front endlof the bolt 20 that passes through the upper portion ofthe shifter bar, Y

12 may be yoke-shaped and is pivotally con- 30 and 35 move in unison. Tothe lower endV of the rock arm 35' ispivoted as at 36 the rearend of alink or bar 37, the front end of which is pivoted as at 3S lok a partdepending from' the end of the under frame ofthe car.'

The draw bar 33 is chambe'red approximately from end to end (see Fig. 2)and is mounted to slide within a suitable frame 40 secured tothe under'framel of the car, the* draw bar beingshownas provided with lat# erallyprojectingarms-or lugs41 preferably formed integralftherewith.

The forward end ofAV the draw barv 33 is connected to the frontend of-arod'lk (see Fig.V 4') thateXtends thencethrough the rear end ,46 ofthejdraw bar i'and through the rearv end'40aofsithe frame '40. Uponftherear portion oft the 'bolt'. i5 is mounted aV sleeve 47- throughy whichthe bolt e5 is free to slide. the rear end of this sleeve bearingagainst the end .LOa of the frame 40. Upon the sleeve 47 is mounted acoil spring 50 the rear end of which bears against the rear end 46 ofthe draw bar 33, while the forward end of the spring 50 bears against aplate or washer 51. In front of the plate or washer 51 and encirclingthe rod l5 is a coil spring 53 the rear end of which bears against theplate or washer 5l,` while its forward end bears against the adjustingnut 511- on the rod 4:5. The nut 541is round and formed with peripheralholes to receive a bar or spanner and by turning the nut 54 the tensionof the spring 53 can be adjusted. The spring 53 tends to hold the drawbar in the position shown in the drawings and by so doing to set thebrakes upon the wheels. When the draw bar is either pulled forwardly, oris pushed backwardly, this spring .53 is compressed, but as the forwardor' backward strain on the draw bar is released, the spring 53 bringsthe draw bar to the po` sition shown to set the brakes. The spring 50,(which is much lighter than the spring 53) serves to aid in movingbackward the draw bar when this backward movement is to be manuallyeffected by the crank 69, as hereinafter described. 1

From the rear end of the frame e() projects a lug 60 to which ispivotally connected, as at 61 (see Fig. 2) a lever The inner end of thislever 62 (see Fig. a) is perforated or slotted where the rear end of therod 45 passes loosely through it, the rear threaded end of the rod 4:5being provided with a threaded nut or head 45a. To the outerl end of thelever 62 is pivotally connectedas at 64rthe rear end of a link 65, tothe front end of which link is pivotally connected as at 66 acrank arm67A that is formed or provided at the lower end of a vertical bar 63(see Figs 2 and 3) having at its upper end a crank handle 69 whereby itmay be turned. This bar 63 is suitably mounted in a bracket 70 at thefront end of the under frame of the car.

From the foregoing description, the op eration of my improved brakemechanism will, it is believed, be readily understood. When the draw bar33 is in the position shown by full lines in the several views of thedrawings, and no strain is being exerted upon the draw bar either tomove the car forward or backward, the brake shoes H and handle H will beapplied to the wheels F of the carv and will check or arrest therotation of the wheels. This pressure of the brake shoes upon the wheelsis due to the pressure of the springs 50 and 53 which serve to normallyhold the parts in the position shown by full lines inthe drawings, withthe brake shoes set against the wheels. When, however, forward strain isexerted upon the draw bar 33 to move the car in forward direction, therock arms 30 and 35 will be shifted from the position shown by" fulllines'in Fig. 4to 'the position shown by dotted lines. This shift of therock arms is dueto the fact that as the draw bar 33 is pulled forward,the link 37, in resisting the bodily forward movement of the rock armscauses these arms to turn about their center of movement 31. The lowerend of the rock 35 is thus `swung upward, while the lower end of therock arm 30 is swung rearwardly. This rearward movement of the rock arm30 causes the` shifter link 28 to push backward the upper end of theshifter bar 12 and swing the lower end of this shifter bar 12 forwardly.This back ward movement of the` upper end of the shifter bar 12 Causesthe lower end of the bail 25 to move rearwardly the brake beam G andthus move the brake shoes H fromengagement with the front wheel F. Theforward movement of the lower end of the shifter bar 12 will, throughthe medium of the connector bar A15, draw forwardly the rear brake beamGr', thereby causing the brake shoes H to be released from the rear`wheels F. Through `the medium of the nut 22, the adjustment of thetension spring 21 can be regulated as desired and acorresponding-regulation of the pressurek thatwill be exerted by the bar25 to release the brake beams'Gr and G can be effected.

lt ywill be understood, however, that the pressure exertedby the spring21 tending to -release the brake beams will be materially less than the31essi1re.eXerted by the springs 50 and to set the'brake shoes againstthe wheels when the strain upon the draw head either in forward orbackward direction is relieved. When the draw bar 33 is moved backward,as in 'moving the car rearwardly, the connector link 28, in resistingthe rearward movement of the lower end of the rock will cause the rockarm to turn about their center of movement 3l as they are forcedbackward and will cause the upper end of the shifter bar 12 to be movedrearwardly and its lower end to be moved forwardly,as hereinbeforedescribed, vso as to .relieve the pressureu of the brake shoes H and H7against the front and rear wheels F. llvlhen the backward pressure uponthe head of the draw baris relieved, the springs 50 and 53 will restorethe draw bar to normal position and reset the brake shoes against thewheels.

Whenever it is desired to relieve the pressure of the brake shoesaga-inst the wheels so as to enable the car to be vshifted at times whenit is not coupledto the locomotive, this can be effected by theattendantturning the Crank handle 69 on the vertical rod 68.'l

This Yturning of the crank handle 69 will cause the crank 67 at itslower end to swing forwardly the link 65 and to rock the lever 62 aboutits pivot point 61., thereby causing the inner end of the lever 62 todraw rearwardly the rod 45 and the draw bar 33, and as before stated,when the draw bar 33 is thus moved backward manually, the spring 50 willaid the operator in effecting such backward movement. This rearwardmovement of the draw bar 33 will serve to relieve the pressure of thebrake shoes II and II upon the wheels F in manner hereinbeforedescribed.`

My invention affords an extremely simple and effective meansiforautomatically setting and releasing the brake mechanism of railway cars.A further advantage incident to my invention is that when a car orseries of cars are disconnected from the locomotive and are at rest, thebrakes will be automatically set so that the danger of the car or carsmoving accidentally when placed upon an inclined track is avoided.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In brake mechanism for railway cars, thecombination of a brake beam V'and brake shoes, of a longitudinallymovable draw bar, pressure mechanism tending to hold said draw bar at apoint intermediate the limits of its movement, connections between saiddraw bar and the brake beam whereby the brake shoes are applied to thewheels when.

the draw bar is at such point and whereby the brake sho-es are releasedwhen the draw bar is shifted, and means whereby said draw 'bar may bemanually shifted.

2. In brake mechanism for railway cars, the combination of a brake beamand brake shoes, of a longitudinally movable draw bar, pressuremechanism for holding said draw bar at a point intermediate the limitsof its movement, a shifterfbar connected with the brake beam, rock armspivotally lconnected to the draw bar, and means connecting said rock armto said shifter bar.

3. In brake mechanism for railway cars,

the combination of a brake beam and brake shoes, of a longitudinallymovable draw bar, springs acting in opposite directions for shiftingsaid draw bar to a point intermediate the limits of its movement, andconnections between said draw bar and the brake beam whereby the brakeshoes are applied 4. In brake mechanism for railway cars,

the combination of a brake beam and brake v shoes, of a longitudinallymovable draw bar,

a pair of rock arms depending fromsaid draw bar, links connected to saidrock arms, and a shifter bar connected to the rear end of one of saidlinks and connected to said brake beam.

5. In brake mechanism for railway cars, the combination with a pair ofbrake beams and their brake shoes, of a longitudinally movable draw bar,pressure mechanism tending to hold said draw bar at a point intermediatethe limits of its movement, and connections between said draw bar andsaid brake beams whereby the Lbrake shoes are applied to the wheels whenthe draw bar is at such point and whereby the brake shoes of both brakebeams are released when the draw bar is moved from such point.

6. In brake mechanism for railway cars, the combination with a brakebeam and brake shoes, of a longitudinally movable draw bar, a rodextending lengthwise'of said draw bar, oppositely disposed springsmounted upon said rod tending to hold said draw bar at a pointintermediate its limits of movement, and connections between said drawbar and the brake beam whereby the brake shoes are applied to the wheelswhen the draw bar is at such point and are released from the wheels whenthe draw bar is moved from such point.

7. In brake mechanism for railway cars, the combination with a brakebeam and brake shoes, of a longitudinally movable draw bar, a rodextending lengthwise of said draw bar, oppositely disposed springsmounted upon said rod tending to hold said draw bar at a pointintermediate its limits of movement, connections between said draw barand the brake beam whereby the brake shoes are applied to the wheelswhen the draw bar is at such point and are released from the wheels whenthe draw bar is moved and means whereby said rod may be manually shiftedto move the draw bar longitudinally.

JOSEPH REIF.

from such point, a lever engaging said rod,

